Tab equipped can



May 3 1960 J. HENCHERT 2,934,843

TAB EQUIPPED CAN Filed nec. 2o, 1957 El El... 2O

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TAB EQUn PED CAN John Hencliert, River Forest, Ill., assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, NX., a corporation of New York Application December 20, 1957, Serial No. 704,109

1 Claim. (Cl. 40-2) This invention aims to provide a novel metal can which is well adapted for use in marketing canned goods for which a sales promotion drive is to be conducted by offering a premium for the purchase of a predetermined number of cans. Toward this end, each can is to be provided With a premium tabl effectively attached thereto yet readily'removable by the purchaser: and an object of the invention is to meet this requirement in a simple and practicable manner which will not interfere with standard can manufacturing procedure.

The conventional can side wall is formed ofA a blank having relatively overlapped and underlapped ends seamed together: and another object is to utilize the overlapped end of the blank to carry the premium tab in such position that it maynormally ylie closely against the can wall but will be readily accessible for removal.

The most commonly used cans have the ends of the wall-forming blank united by a soldered lock and lap side seam. Each lock portion of the seam is formed by interengaged hook flanges. The lap portions are devoid of such hook flanges and are located at least at the ends of the seam to prevent these seam ends from interfering with seaming of the can bottom and top onto the side wall. In other instances, for seam strengthening purposes, the seam includes one or more lap portions between the ends of the seam: and another object of the invention is to provide a novel construction in which a carrying neck for the above mentioned premium tab forms part of a lap portion between the seam ends.

A further object is to modify an otherwise conventional blank from which to form a can wall, by providing the overlap end of the blank with an integral premium tab so located as to prevent it from infering with the operation of a conventional can body making machine, the

premium tab being also positioned to facilitate lithographing if the blank is to be lithographed.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the invention embodied in a can of key-opened type.

Figures 2 and 3 are enlarged horizontal sectional views on lines 2-2 and 3 3, respectively, of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an outer iside View of the blank.

In Figure 4, a blank 5 is shown from which to form a can side wall. This blank is shown as having score lines 6 and a tongue 7 for a key-opened can. The blank ends 8 and 9 are to be lapped and seamed together, with the end 8 overlapping the end 9 and with this end 9 consequently underlapping the end 8. Therefore, for identication, the end 8 may be termed the overlap end and the end 9, the underlap end.

The overlap end 8 is provided with lap portions 10 and 11 at the lupper and lower edges of the blank. Between aired States atm? these edges, the end 8 has an integral projecting neck 12, to the outer end of which, a premium tab 13 is integrally joined along a weakened line 14. Above the neck 12, the blank end 8 has inwardly turned hook flanges 15 and 16 below said neck another hook ange 17 is provided.

The underlap end 9 of the blank 5 has lap portions 10a and 11a to underlap the lap portions 10 and 11, and a lug 12a forming another lap portion to underlap the neck 12. The end 9 also has outwardly turned hook flanges 15a, 16a, and 17a to engage the inwardly turned hook llanges 15, 16 and 17, respectively, of the overlap end 8.

By means of a conventional can body making machine, the blank 5 of Figure 4 is bent into shape to form the can wall 18, with the overlap end 8 and the underlap end 9 in lapping relation, and with the hook flanges 15, 16 and 17 disposed in juxtaposition with respect to the hook anges 15a, 16a and 17a, respectively. The wall 18 is then expanded by the machine to engage the two sets of hook flanges and the thus partly completed side seam is then bumped to tightly clinch these flanges together. The seam is then completed by soldering and the solder is indicated at 19 in FiguresZ and 3. The ends of the can wall 18 are then flanged by the machine in readiness for seaming-on of the can bottom 20 and later'the can top 21.

In the completed can, the hook flanges 15 and 15a, 16 and 16a, and 17 and 17a are soldered together, the lap portions 10 and 18a are soldered together, and the neck 12 and lug 12a are soldered together. The tab 13, however, is free from the can wall 18. This tab normally lies protectedly against the can wall to avoid bending when handling cans but said tab is readily accessible for removal by a purchaser, and removal of said tab will leave the can otherwise intact. Thus, if a purchaser should wish to take advantage of a premium offer requiring a plurality of the tabs, an equal plurality of cans could be purchased at one time and all of the tabs removed. The can contents would be unimpaired by so doing and could be used as required.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for attaining the desired ends. However, it will be understood that variations may be made within the scope of the invention. For instance, the weakened line 14 need not be formed by a score but could well be otherwise formed to allow tearing or breaking off of the tab. Then, too, while the invention is shown as embodied in a key-opened can, it is obviously not restricted to such a can.

I claim:

A can side wall formed of a metal blank having an overlapped end and an underlapped end connected by a side seam, said side seam having an underlapped portion and an overlapped portion between its ends and interhooked portions above and below said underlapped portion and said overlapped portion and secured together, said underlapped portion and said overlapped portion being secured together in sealed face-to-face relation, the seal extending continuously between said interhooked portions to provide a continuously sealed side seam, said underlapped portion and said overlapped portion projecting circumferentially of the can wall and beyond said interhooked portions, a tab integrally connected with the outer end of said overlapped portion free of the remainder of the can side wall and accessibly positioned at the exterior of the can side wall in a protected position immediately adjacent to said can side wall, said tab and said overlapped portion Ibeing integrally joined along a weakened line and being manually severable from said can side wall along said weakened line, said overlapped por- References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS' Hurley July 9, 1907 4 Elliott Nov. 3, 1914 Peters Nov. 26, 1929 Coughlin Nov. 6, 1934 Erb June 1l, 1935 Guyer Nov. 1, 1938 Then July 27, 1943 

